Exclusively pumping Big Thread

Rachnan · June 2014

Hi ladies! I haven't had time to read all 29 pages but I think I'm going to be switching to EP. My LO has had weight struggles from the beginning and has had to be supplemented. Then in the last week he gained zero weight (I get him weighed each week at a breastfeeding group). I really just want to able to see what he's getting but still provide as much BM as I can. I fully expect to continue using some formula which I'm fine with. What do you all think is the best way to transition? I would love to get on a schedule where I pump 4-5 times a day, is that even possible? Any other advice? TIA

spano41 · June 2014

It Kind of depends on your supply situation. Do you have a low supply or is LO not gaining for other reasons? You can try to pump after LO feeds each time or you can pump each time you supplement with a bottle. Once You figure out how much you are producing it will dictate how much you will need to pump to keep up with the demand.

Rachnan · June 2014

@spano41‌ I think my supply is on the low end. LO eat every hour or two during the day and there are times where he gets frustrated and I don't hear him getting anything and I supplement at that point (he's also screaming his head off at this point). I've had a tough time with supply since he was born and really want to pump so I know how much he's getting vs having him on the breast each time. We are both frustrated and I don't want to keep going on like that!

Bperkun · June 2014

I have had that same problem too. I have a low supply and turns out I only produce half of what DS eats. The rest I supplement. I pump every 3 hours, so about 7 or 8 times a day to get him that amount. Then during the day I alternate formula and breast milk feedings. So far that has worked for us. It's a pain pumping around the clock like that but it's worth it knowing he is getting at least some breast milk

Rachnan · June 2014

Thanks for the response @Blinkalish‌. I was hoping to pump less times than that especially since I don't think that would be doable once I go back o work. Do you also wake up I the middle of the night to pump?

Bperkun · June 2014

Usually I wake up once during the night when my baby wakes up to eat and then pump. I try to wake up a second time but usually end up turning off my alarm in my sleep #-o If you are able to pump less times a day go for it! After 3 hours my boobs hurt and I worry about my supply decreasing if I spread it out more, so I have just done this. This is my first week back at work and it does suck, not gonna lie, but luckily I have my own private office so that helps. I think you kinda just have to experiment what works for you. Good luck! You will figure it out :-)

snmetz7 · June 2014

So no one has an ameda?

maelic · June 2014

I've happily gone down to 5 pumps a day (from 6) with actually an increase in supply.

Planning on hanging on until baby is 12 w and then start tapering off, with my freezer stash she should last almost another month on BM.

Props, ladies, this is a huge pain in the ass.

KatieGummow · June 2014

@snmetz7 said:
So no one has an ameda?

Hygeia here. But it is the same thing I suppose (two knobs: strength and speed). I also pumped from a rented hospital Medela for over a month and loved it. I can't mimic pre let down sucking because I pump while I bottle feed the boys so don't have free hands. It hasn't affected my supply at all just turning it on and keeping it at that same speed (half) and strength (a little more than half). It definitely isn't as comfortable, but it gets the job done.

I was going to respond to you yesterday but I didn't end up having much bump time, sorry about that.

KatieGummow · June 2014

@Rachnan said:
Thanks for the response @Blinkalish‌. I was hoping to pump less times than that especially since I don't think that would be doable once I go back o work. Do you also wake up I the middle of the night to pump?

Just pump as much as you can and as often. It is so sucky but so worth it. My boobs tell me when it is time to pump now, but I can usually do it while I am feeding the boys (which doesn't help your situation).

If you could try to pump right before work, lunch, and right after work (before you get home and distracted with the baby) I think it would be sufficient enough to keep and grow your supply.

At night I pump after each feeding but mostly because of engorgement. It is sucky but only 20 more minutes of being up (and it is my bump time). So I end up pumping ~9pm (after they go to bed), ~2am, ~5am. From then I get to pump every 3-5 hours. I try for 6x a day.

I imagine if you did 8am, noon, 5pm, 9pm and one night feeding it would be beneficial and efficient enough to add least add some BM to formula... Is that possible?

KatieGummow · June 2014

@spano41‌ I ordered that bra today! Looks SO convenient. Thanks for recommending

snmetz7 · June 2014

@KatieGummow‌ thanks

ill try that an see if I like it any better. I'm really just wanting to get to a point where I can leave my good pump at work and not worry about it lol.

KatieGummow · June 2014

@snmetz oh I bet! When this is over I am going to throw myself a huge pump burning party..

Stace0616 · June 2014

I try to pump six times a day around his eating schedule--2am MOTN feeding, 6-8am when he wakes up, before noon, 2ish, before dinner/DH gets home, and finally right before bed. Lately, I've also switched one feeding to formula so I can freeze at least 4oz/day and to make the transition to formula easier down the road. My doctor encouraged it as he believes more firmly in the amount of time they get breast milk (i.e. 6 months with a combo of breast milk and formula) vs a short period of time getting 100% breast milk. It has taken a LOT of pressure off and I now have about 150oz in the freezer!

spano41 · June 2014

@Rachnan‌ So if your supply is low you are going to want to pump more than 4x if you can. To increase supply you can do a power pump where you pump for 10 min on, 10 min off for an hour. Once you get your supply where you want it you can slowly drop pumps and your body should adjust to make the same amount with fewer pumps. You Can also try to increase supply by eating things like oatmeal, flax seed, brewers yeast. ... There is a whole list of things that are supposed to increase supply. If that seems like too much work you can always suppliment with formula!

spano41 · June 2014

@Katiegummow glad I could help, I hope you like it!

snmetz7 · June 2014

Bump

Xxlilies · June 2014

Stace0616 said:

My doctor encouraged it as he believes more firmly in the amount of time they get breast milk (i.e. 6 months with a combo of breast milk and formula) vs a short period of time getting 100% breast milk. It has taken a LOT of pressure off and I now have about 150oz in the freezer!

My dr believes the same. She tells me often that some breast milk is better than none . My LO Is still getting 50;50 but I have also started to freeze the breast milk i would have normally gave him at bedtime and replaced with formula as I don't produce a tonne of milk and won't get even a small "stash" any other way.

Rachnan · June 2014

Thanks for all of the advice ladies, today is our first day of pumping! I'm giving him a little over 3 oz per feeding. He still seems to be eating every hour and a half to two hours and still doesn't seem satisfied each time. I thought that amount was about right for a breastfed baby? Is it possible I just have a big eater and he needs more?

katy4128 · June 2014

@Rachnan‌ At 8 weeks my LO had about 5/6 oz of pumped breast milk every 3 hours or so. We are FF now though (he is 10 weeks old) and he gets one BM bottle a day which is usually 6 oz.

KatieGummow · June 2014

@Rachnan‌ my boys (beginning at 6 weeks?) take 4+ oz. Right now we do 4.5 oz during the day, every 2-4 hours, and 5 at night. I read their stomachs will stay this size until 4 months

Xxlilies · June 2014

@Rachnan‌ my LO eats 5 oz usually but lately has been seeming hungrier at night so am trying a bigger bottle tonight

Rachnan · June 2014

Thanks @Xxlilies‌ @Katy0525‌ @KatieGummow‌. I'm going to step it up half an ounce at a time until we hit the right spot! Seems like he's going through a growth spurt right now which is making this more difficult!

Stace0616 · June 2014

LO is 9 weeks now. We are currently at 5oz during the day and he usually goes 3-4hrs between feedings. If it is less than 2hrs I'll try just giving him 2-2.5oz to take the edge off and see if that helps. Then the MOTN feeding we give him ounces proportionate to how long it had been since his last feeding. Lately, he's been having a 7hr stretch at night so 7oz!

We feed on demand so he usually ends up in the 32-36oz range per day.

snmetz7 · June 2014

having a bad pumping day

Mamamonzo · June 2014

snmetz7 said:
having a bad pumping day

Booooo

KatieGummow · June 2014

snmetz7 said:
having a bad pumping day

Boo! What's going on??

spano41 · June 2014

Mamamonzo said:

snmetz7 said:
having a bad pumping day

Booooo

I'm sorry you're having a bad day. Everyone has bad days..... It will be better tomorrow! Try Not to stress.

snmetz7 · June 2014

thanks ladies just really low output today with no reason as to why... hoping its just today and tomorrow will be back to normal.

Xxlilies · June 2014

@snmetz7‌ having a crappy pumping day myself
It happens sometimes . Usually next day is awesome because I'm more diligent with water intake and pumping times
Hope tomorrow is better for u

Boston*bride · June 2014

snmetz7 said:

thanks ladies just really low output today with no reason as to why... hoping its just today and tomorrow will be back to normal.

I have had really low output these last few days, too-- after getting 30 oz a day pretty consistently I dropped down to 20-25 with no explanation. Are you drinking enough water? One of my theories is that I also got cleared to start exercising this week and that I could be dehydrated. BUT, I also looked at my log and realized that one of the last days I got 30 ounces I also made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Coincidence? I think not! ;-)

In all seriousness, oatmeal is one of those things that is supposed to help with milk production. My recommendation? Drink water, make some cookies, and try not to stress about it. Tomorrow is another day!

snmetz7 · June 2014

FFWC: I pump every morning befor I leave for work. If I know I'm going to "tied up" in the bathroom, ill pump in terr on the pot to save time. Mom of the year right here.

Saraloaks · June 2014

snmetz7 I have the Ameda from insurance too. I absolutely hated it after having the hospital grade pump for a month. It never emptied the breast and I actually got mastitis from it. The valves suck and need to be replace constantly to keep suction strong. My husband found a way around this while I was desparate and we were going to buy a new pump. He cut the Medella tubing and was able to attach it to the Medella flanges, and now I don't need the valves and have great suction! It worked for me!

hordol · June 2014

I don't EP but pump at work and I'm wondering if maybe you girls could help me out with something. I know I've mentioned on here before that I don't respond well to the pump at all. I have the medela freestyle and have tried many things to increase output. Heat, massage & compression, different size flanges, pumpin pals, pumping while nursing (although I can't do that at work anyway) and a medela hand pump to see if I responded better to that. None of it worked. (Well massage works to an extent but I still don't get much.) I went to a bachelorette party last weekend and was away from LO for 24 hours. I pumped every 3 hours except at night. The next day my breasts were so sore because the pump is just not emptying them. I know my supply is fine. I also know the freestyle is a pretty good pump. Any thoughts as to why I can't get it to empty my breasts? I have never been able to feel my letdowns but I press the letdown feature every 5ish minutes (because otherwise I will get absolutely nothing after the first letdown) but each "letdown" afterwards barely gets anything either. 90% of what I pump comes from the first letdown. It's frustrating to have pumped for 24 hours and only get 14 oz when I know my supply is just fine. I'm probably beating a dead horse here so sorry about that, but if you are successful at getting your breasts emptied via the pump I would love your tricks!

janice9821 · June 2014

Can anyone help me troubleshoot my Ameda Purely Yours? One side gradually loses suction as I'm pumping. Removing and replacing the white cap fixes it temporarily but then the suction starts to go down again. Is it the cap? The diaphragm? The tubing? I don't know what to try first.

snmetz7 · June 2014

@janice9821 said:

Can anyone help me troubleshoot my Ameda Purely Yours? One side gradually loses suction as I'm pumping. Removing and replacing the white cap fixes it temporarily but then the suction starts to go down again. Is it the cap? The diaphragm? The tubing? I don't know what to try first.

cant help you I HATE that pump

Saraloaks · June 2014

janice9821 said:

Can anyone help me troubleshoot my Ameda Purely Yours? One side gradually loses suction as I'm pumping. Removing and replacing the white cap fixes it temporarily but then the suction starts to go down again. Is it the cap? The diaphragm? The tubing? I don't know

I absolutely hated the purely yours after having the hospital grade pump for a month. It never emptied the breast and I actually got mastitis from it. The valves suck and need to be replace constantly to keep suction strong. My husband found a way around this while I was desparate and we were going to buy a new pump. He cut the Medella tubing and was able to attach it to the Medella flanges, and now I don't need the valves and have great suction! It worked for me!

spano41 · June 2014

I got the mirena yesterday and pumped 5oz less than normal. I Also have been coming down with a cold though and I think I'm dehydrated. Does anyone else have mirena and did you see a change in your supply?

KatieGummow · June 2014

I have the mirena, no supply issues here that I know of. So sorry

5oz is a lot to be missing.

spano41 · June 2014

Yeah, it's kind of weird. I'm sort of ok with it because we don't have much freezer space left but it will be really bad if it keeps decreasing. I'm going to try to hydrate and hopefully it will come back up but today looks pretty low too.

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